L U K E.

CHAP. XXII.

All the evangelists, whatever they omit, give us a
particular account of the death and resurrection of Christ, because
he died for our sins and rose for our justification, this
evangelist as fully as any, and with many circumstances and
passages added which we had not before. In this chapter we have, I.
The plot to take Jesus, and Judas's coming into it, ver. 1-6. II. Christ's eating the
passover with his disciples, ver.
7-18. III. The instituting of the Lord's supper,
ver. 19, 20. IV.
Christ's discourse with his disciples after supper, upon several
heads, ver. 21-38. V.
His agony in the garden, ver.
39-46. VI. The apprehending of him, by the assistance of
Judas, ver. 47-53. VII.
Peter's denying him, ver.
54-62. VIII. The indignities done to Christ by those
that had him in custody, and his trial and condemnation in the
ecclesiastical court, ver.
63-71.

The Treachery of Judas.

1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh,
which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and
scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of
the number of the twelve. 4 And he went his way, and
communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray
him unto them. 5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give
him money. 6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to
betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

The year of the redeemed is now
come, which had been from eternity fixed in the divine
counsels, and long looked for by them that waited for the
consolation of Israel. After the revolutions of many ages, it is at
length come, Isa. lxiii.
4. And, it is observable, it is in the very first
month of that year that the redemption is wrought out, so much
in haste was the Redeemer to perform his undertaking, so was he
straitened till it was accomplished. It was in the
same month, and at the same time of the month (in the beginning
of months, Exod. xii.
2), that God by Moses brought Israel out of Egypt, that
the Antitype might answer the type. Christ is here delivered up,
when the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, v. 1. About as long before that
feast as they began to make preparation for it, here was
preparation making for our Passover's being offered for us. Here we
have,

I. His sworn enemies contriving it
(v. 2), the chief
priests, men of sanctity, and the scribes, men of learning,
seeking how they might kill him, either by force of fraud.
Could they have had their will, it had been soon done, but they
feared the people, and the more for what they now saw of
their diligent attendance upon his preaching.

II. A treacherous disciple joining in with
them, and coming to their assistance, Judas surnamed
Iscariot. He is here said to be of the number of the
twelve, that dignified distinguished number. One would wonder
that Christ, who knew all men, should take a traitor into
that number, and that one of that number, who could
not but know Christ, should be so base as to betray him; but
Christ had wise and holy ends in taking Judas to be a disciple, and
how he who knew Christ so well yet came to betray him we are here
told: Satan entered into Judas, v. 3. It was the devil's work, who
thought hereby to ruin Christ's undertaking, to have broken his
head; but it proved only the bruising of his heel. Whoever betrays
Christ, or his truths or ways, it is Satan that puts them upon it.
Judas knew how desirous the chief priests were to get Christ into
their hands, and that they could not do it safely without the
assistance of some that knew his retirements, as he did. He
therefore went himself, and made the motion to them, v. 4. Note, It is hard to say
whether more mischief is done to Christ's kingdom by the power and
policy of its open enemies, or by the treachery and self-seeking of
its pretended friends: nay, without the latter its enemies could
not gain their point as they do. When you see Judas communing with
the chief priests, be sure some mischief is hatching; it is
for no good that they are laying their heads together.

III. The issue of the treaty between them.
1. Judas must betray Christ to them, must bring them to a
place where they might seize him without danger of tumult, and this
they would be glad of. 2. They must give him a sum of money
for doing it, and this he would be glad of (v. 5): They covenanted to give him
money. When the bargain was made, Judas sought opportunity
to betray him. Probably, he slyly enquired of Peter and John,
who were more intimate with their Master than he was, where he
would be at such a time, and whither he would retire after the
passover, and they were not sharp enough to suspect him. Somehow or
other, in a little time he gained the advantage he sought, and
fixed the time and place where it might be done, in the absence
of the multitude, and without tumult.

The Keeping of the Passover.

7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when
the passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John,
saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? 10
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city,
there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him
into the house where he entereth in. 11 And ye shall say
unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is
the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
12 And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there
make ready. 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto
them: and they made ready the passover. 14 And when the hour
was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this
passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I
will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom
of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said,
Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I
say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the
kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and gave
thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my
body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is
the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

What a hopeful prospect had we of Christ's
doing a great deal of good by his preaching in the temple during
the feast of unleavened bread, which continued seven days, when the
people were every morning, and early in the morning,
so attentive to hear him! But here is a stop put to it. He must
enter upon work of another kind; in this, however, he shall do more
good than in the other, for neither Christ's nor his church's
suffering days are their idle empty days. Now here we have,

I. The preparation that was made for
Christ's eating the passover with his disciples, upon the very
day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed
according to the law, v.
7. Christ was made under the law, and observed the
ordinances of it, particularly that of the passover, to teach us in
like manner to observe his gospel institutions, particularly that
of the Lord's supper, and not to neglect them. It is probable that
he went to the temple to preach in the morning, when he sent Peter
and John another way into the city to prepare the passover.
Those who have attendants about them, to do their secular business
for them in a great measure, must not think that this allows
them to be idle; it engages them to employ themselves
more in spiritual business, or service to the public.
He directed those whom he employed whither they should go
(v. 9, 10):
they must follow a man bearing a pitcher of water, and he
must be their guide to the house. Christ could have described the
house to them; probably it was a house they knew, and he might have
said no more than, Go to such a one's house, or to a house in such
a street, with such a sign, &c. But he directed them thus, to
teach them to depend upon the conduct of Providence, and to follow
that, step by step. They went, not knowing whither they
went, nor whom they followed. Being come to the house,
they must desire the master of the house to show them a room
(v. 11), and he will
readily do it, v.
12. Whether it was a friend's house or a public house
does not appear; but the disciples found their guide, and the
house, and the room, just as he had said to them (v. 13); for they need
not fear a disappointment who go upon Christ's word; according to
the orders given them, they got every thing in readiness for the
passover, v.
11.

II. The solemnizing of the passover,
according to the law. When the hour was come that they
should go to supper he sat down, probably at the head-end of
the table, and the twelve apostles with him, Judas not
excepted; for it is possible that those whose hearts are filled
with Satan, and all manner of wickedness, may yet continue a
plausible profession of religion, and be found in the performance
of its external services; and while it is in the heart, and does
not break out into anything scandalous, such cannot be denied the
external privileges of their external profession. Though Judas has
already been guilty of an overt act of treason, yet, it not
being publicly known, Christ admits him to sit down with the rest
at the passover. Now observe,

1. How Christ bids this passover
welcome, to teach us in like manner to welcome his passover,
the Lord's supper, and to come to it with an appetite (v. 15): "With desire I have
desired, I have most earnestly desired, to eat this passover
with you before I suffer." He knew it was to be the prologue to
his sufferings, and therefore he desired it, because it was
in order to his Father's glory and man's redemption. He
delighted to do even this part of the will of God
concerning him as Mediator. Shall we be backward to any
service for him who was so forward in the work of our
salvation? See the love he had to his disciples; he desired to eat
it with them, that he and they might have a little time
together, themselves, and none besides, for private conversation,
which they could not have in Jerusalem but upon this occasion. He
was now about to leave them, but was very desirous to eat this
passover with them before he suffered, as if the comfort of
that would carry him the more cheerfully through his sufferings,
and make them the easier to him. Note, Our gospel passover, eaten
by faith with Jesus Christ, will be an excellent preparation for
sufferings, and trials, and death itself.

2. How Christ in it takes his leave of
all passovers, thereby signifying his abrogating all the
ordinances of the ceremonial law, of which that of the passover was
one of the earliest and one of the most eminent
(v. 16): "I will
not any more eat thereof, nor shall it by any more celebrated
by my disciples, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of
God." (1.) It was fulfilled when Christ our Passover was
sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. v.
7. And therefore that type and shadow was laid
aside, because now in the kingdom of God the substance was
come, which superseded it. (2.) It was fulfilled in the Lord's
supper, an ordinance of the gospel kingdom, in which the
passover had its accomplishment, and which the disciples, after the
pouring out of the Spirit, did frequently celebrate, as we find
Acts ii. 42, 46. They ate
of it, and Christ might be said to eat with them, because of the
spiritual communion they had with him in that ordinance. He is said
to sup with them and they with him, Rev. iii. 20. But, (3.) The complete
accomplishment of that commemoration of liberty will be in the
kingdom of glory, when all God's spiritual Israel shall be released
from the bondage of death and sin, and be put in possession of the
land of promise. What he had said of his eating of the paschal
lamb, he repeats concerning his drinking of the passover
wine, the cup of blessing, or of thanksgiving, in which
all the company pledged the Master of the feast, at the close of
the passover supper. This cup he took, according to the
custom, and gave thanks for the deliverance of Israel out of
Egypt, and the preservation of their first-born, and then said,
Take this, and divide it among yourselves, v. 17. This is not said
afterwards of the sacramental cup, which being probably of much
more weight and value, being the New Testament in his blood,
he might give into every one's hand, to teach them to make a
particular application of it to their own souls; but, as for the
paschal cup which is to be abolished, it is enough to say,
"Take it, and divide it among yourselves, do what you
will with it, for we shall have no more occasion for it, v. 18. I will not drink of
the fruit of the vine any more, I will not have it any more
drank of, till the kingdom of God shall come, till the
Spirit be poured out, and then you shall in the Lord's
supper commemorate a much more glorious redemption, of which
both the deliverance out of Egypt and the passover commemoration of
it were types and figures. The kingdom of God is now so near being
set up that you will not need to eat or drink any more till it
comes." Christ dying next day opened it. As Christ with a great
deal of pleasure took leave of all the legal feasts (which fell of
course with the passover) for the evangelical ones, both spiritual
and sacramental; so may good Christians, when they are called to
remove from the church militant to that which is triumphant,
cheerfully exchange even their spiritual repasts, much more their
sacramental ones, for the eternal feast.

III. The institution of the Lord's supper,
v. 19, 20. The
passover and the deliverance out of Egypt were
typical and prophetic signs of a Christ to come, who
should by dying deliver us from sin and death, and the tyranny of
Satan; but they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, that brought
us up out of the land of Egypt; a much greater deliverance
shall eclipse the lustre of that, and therefore the Lord's supper
is instituted to be a commemorative sign or memorial of a Christ
already come, that has by dying delivered us; and it is his
death that is in a special manner set before us in that
ordinance.

1. The breaking of Christ's body as
a sacrifice for us is here commemorated by the breaking
of bread; and the sacrifices under the law were called the
bread of our God (Lev. xxi.
6, 8, 17): This is my body which is given for
you. And there is a feast upon that sacrifice instituted, in
which we are to apply it to ourselves, and to take the benefit and
comfort of it. This bread that was given for us is given to
us to be food for our souls, for nothing can be more
nourishing and satisfying to our souls than the
doctrine of Christ's making atonement for sin, and the assurance of
our interest in that atonement; this bread that was broken
and given for us, to satisfy for the guilt of our sins, is
broken and given to us, to satisfy the desire of our
souls. And this we do in remembrance of what he did for us,
when he died for us, and for a memorial of what we
do, in making ourselves partakers of him, and joining
ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant; like the stone Joshua
set up for a witness, Josh.
xxiv. 27.

2. The shedding of Christ's
blood, by which the atonement was made (for the blood made
atonement for the soul, Lev. xvii.
11), as represented by the wine in the cup; and that cup
of wine is a sign and token of the New Testament, or new covenant,
made with us. It commemorates the purchase of the covenant
by the blood of Christ, and confirms the promises of the
covenant, which are all Yea and Amen in him. This
will be reviving and refreshing to our souls, as wine that makes
glad the heart. In all our commemorations of the shedding of
Christ's blood, we must have an eye to it as shed for us; we needed
it, we take hold of it, we hope to have benefit by it; who loved
me, and gave himself for me. And in all our regards to the New
Testament we must have an eye to the blood of Christ, which
gave life and being to it, and seals to us all the promises of it.
Had it not been for the blood of Christ, we had never had the New
Testament; and, had it not been for the New Testament, we had never
know the meaning of Christ's blood shed.

The Disciples Admonished; Peter's Frailty
Predicted.

21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth
me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of
man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he
is betrayed! 23 And they began to enquire among themselves,
which of them it was that should do this thing. 24 And there
was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the
greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise
authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye
shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you,
let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth
serve. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at
meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat?
but I am among you as he that serveth. 28 Ye are they which
have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint
unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 And the Lord
said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am
ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day,
before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 35
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip,
and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take
it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no
sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37 For I say
unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me,
And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things
concerning me have an end. 38 And they said, Lord, behold,
here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is
enough.

We have here Christ's discourse with his
disciples after supper, much of which is new here; and in St.
John's gospel we shall find other additions. We should take example
from him to entertain and edify our family and friends with such
discourse at table as is good and to the use of edifying, which may
minister grace to the hearers; but especially after we have been at
the Lord's table, by Christian conference to keep one another in a
suitable frame. The matters Christ here discoursed of were of
weight, and to the present purpose.

I. He discoursed with them concerning him
that should betray him, who was now present. 1. He signifies to
them that the traitor was now among them, and one of them,
v. 21. By placing
this after the institution of the Lord's supper, though in Matthew
and Mark it is placed before it, it seems plain that Judas did
receive the Lord's supper, did eat of that bread and
drink of that cup; for, after the solemnity was over, Christ
said, Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on
the table. There have been those that have eaten bread with
Christ and yet have betrayed him. 2. He foretels that the treason
would take effect (v.
22): Truly the Son of man goes as it was
determined, goes to the place where he will be betrayed; for he
is delivered up by the counsel and foreknowledge of God, else Judas
could not have delivered him up. Christ was not driven to his
sufferings, but cheerfully went to them. He said, Lo, I
come. 3. He threatens the traitor: Woe to that man by whom
he is betrayed. Note, Neither the patience of the saints under
their sufferings, nor the counsel of God concerning their
sufferings, will be any excuse for those that have any hand in
their sufferings, or that persecute them. Though God has
determined that Christ shall be betrayed and he himself has
cheerfully submitted to it, yet Judas's sin or punishment is not at
all the less. 4. He frightens the rest of the disciples into a
suspicion of themselves, by saying that it was one of them, and not
naming which (v.
23): They began to enquire among themselves, to
interrogate themselves, to put the question to themselves, who
it was that should do this thing, that could be so base to so
good a Master. The enquiry was not, Is it you? or, Is it
such a one? but, Is it I?

II. Concerning the strife that was among
them for precedency or supremacy.

1. See what the dispute was: Which of
them should be accounted the greatest. Such and so many
contests among the disciples for dignity and dominion,
before the Spirit was poured upon them, were a sad presage
of the like strifes for, and affections of, supremacy in the
churches, after the Spirit should be provoked to depart from them.
How inconsistent is this with that in the verse before! There they were enquiring which
would be the traitor, and here which should be the prince. Could
such an instance of humility, and such an instance of pride and
vanity, be found in the same men, so near together? This is like
sweet waters and bitter proceeding at the same time
out of the same fountain. What a self-contradiction is the
deceitful heart of man!

2. See what Christ said to this dispute. He
was not sharp upon them, as might have been expected (he having so
often reproved them for this very thing), but mildly showed them
the sin and folly of it.

(1.) This was to make themselves like the
kings of the Gentiles, who affect worldly pomp, and worldly
power, v. 25. They
exercise lordship over their subjects, and are ever and anon
striving to exercise lordship too over the princes that are
about them, though as good as themselves, if they think them
not so strong as themselves. Note, The exercising of
lordship better becomes the kings of the Gentiles than
the ministers of Christ. But observe, They that exercise
authority, and take upon themselves to bear sway, and give law,
they are called Benefactors—Euergetas, they
call themselves so, and so their flatterers call them, and those
that set themselves to serve their interests. It is pretended that
they have been benefactors, and upon that account
they should be admitted to have rule; nay, that in
exercising authority they are benefactors. However they may really
serve themselves, they would be thought to serve their
country. One of the Ptolemies was surnamed Euergetes—The
Benefactor. Now our Saviour, by taking notice of this,
intimates, [1.] That to do good is much more honourable than
to look great; for these princes that were the terror of
the mighty would not be called so, but rather the
benefactors of the needy; so that, by their own confession,
a benefactor to his country is much more valued than a ruler of his
country. [2.] That to do good is the surest way to be great,
else they that aimed to be rulers would not have been so
solicitous to be called Benefactors. This therefore he would
have his disciples believe, that their greatest honour would be to
do all the good they could in the world. They would indeed be
benefactors to the world, by bringing the gospel to it. Let
them value themselves upon that title, which they would indeed be
entitled to, and then they need not strive which should be
the greatest, for they would all be greater- treater
blessings to mankind than the kings of the earth, that exercise
lordship over them. If they have that which is confessedly the
greater honour, of being benefactors, let them despise the
less, of being rulers.

(2.) It was to make themselves unlike the
disciples of Christ, and unlike Christ himself: "You shall not
be so," v. 26,
27. "It was never intended that you should rule
any otherwise than by the power of truth and grace, but that you
should serve." When church-rulers affect external pomp and
power, and bear up themselves by secular interests and influences,
they debase their office, and it is an instance of degeneracy like
that of Israel when they would have a king like the nations that
were round about them, whereas the Lord was their King. See here,
[1.] What is the rule Christ gave to his disciples: He that is
greater among you, that is senior, to whom precedency
is due upon the account of his age, let him be as the
younger, both in point of lowness of place (let him
condescend to sit with the younger, and be free and familiar with
them) and in point of labour and work. We say,
Juniores ad labores, seniores ad honores—Let the young work,
and the aged receive their honours. But let the elder take
pains as well as the younger; their age and honour, instead of
warranting them to take their ease, bind them to double work. And
he that is chief, ho hegoumenos—the
president of the college or assembly, let him be as he
that serves, hos ho diakonon—as the
deacon; let him stoop to the meanest and most toilsome services
for the public good, if there be occasion. [2.] What was the
example which he himself gave to this rule: Whether is greater,
he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? he that attendeth
or he that is attended on? Now Christ was among his disciples just
like one that waited at table. He was so far from taking
state, or taking his ease, by commanding their
attendance upon him, that he was ready to do any office of kindness
and service for them; witness his washing their feet. Shall
those take upon them the form of princes who call themselves
followers of him that took upon him the form of a
servant?

(3.) They ought not to strive for worldly
honour and grandeur, because he had better honours in reserve for
them, of another nature, a kingdom, a feast, a
throne, for each of them, wherein they should all share
alike, and should have no occasion to strive for precedency,
v. 28-30. Where
observe,

[1.] Christ's commendation of his disciples
for their faithfulness to him; and this was honour enough for them,
they needed not to strive for any greater. It is spoken with an air
of encomium and applause: "You are they who have continued with
me in my temptations, you are they who have stood by me and
stuck to me when others have deserted me and turned their backs
upon me." Christ had his temptations; he was despised and rejected
of men, reproached and reviled, and endured the contradiction of
sinners. But his disciples continued with him, and were
afflicted in all his afflictions. It was but little help that they
could give him, or service that they could do him; nevertheless, he
took it kindly that they continued with him, and he here
owns their kindness, though it was by the assistance of his own
grace that they did continue. Christ's disciples had been very
defective in their duty. We find them guilty of many mistakes and
weaknesses: they were very dull and very forgetful, and often
blundered, yet their Master passes all by and forgets it; he does
not upbraid them with their infirmities, but gives them this
memorable testimonial, You are they who have continued with
me. Thus does he praise at parting, to show how willing he is
to make the best of those whose hearts he knows to be upright with
him.

[2.] The recompence he designed them for
their fidelity: I appoint, diatithemai, I
bequeath, unto you a kingdom. Or thus, I appoint to you, as
my Father has appointed a kingdom to me, that you may eat and drink
at my table. Understand it, First, Of what should be
done for them in this world. God gave his Son a kingdom among
men, the gospel church, of which he is the living, quickening,
ruling, Head. This kingdom he appointed to his
apostles and their successors in the ministry of the gospel, that
they should enjoy the comforts and privileges of the gospel, help
to communicate them to others by gospel ordinances, sit on thrones
as officers of the church, not only declaratively, but
exhortatively judging the tribes of Israel that persist in
their infidelity, and denouncing the wrath of God against them, and
ruling the gospel Israel, the spiritual Israel, by the instituted
discipline of the church, administered with gentleness and love.
This is the honour reserved for you. Or, Secondly, Of what
should be done for them in the other world, which I take to be
chiefly meant. Let them go on in their services in this world;
their preferments shall be in the other world. God will give them
the kingdom, in which they shall be sure to have, 1. The
richest dainties; for they shall eat and drink at
Christ's table in his kingdom, of which he had spoken,
v. 16, 18. They
shall partake of those joys and pleasures which were the recompence
of his services and sufferings. They shall have a full satisfaction
of soul in the vision and fruition of God; and herein they shall
have the best society, as at a feast, in the perfection of love. 2.
The highest dignities: "You shall not only be provided for
at the royal table, as Mephibosheth at David's, but you shall be
preferred to the royal throne; shall sit down with me on my
throne, Rev. iii. 21. In
the great day you shall sit on thrones, as assessors with
Christ, to approve of and applaud his judgment of the twelve
tribes of Israel." If the saints shall judge the world
(1 Cor. vi. 2), much more
the church.

III. Concerning Peter's denying him. And in
this part of the discourse we may observe,

1. The general notice Christ gives to Peter
of the devil's design upon him and the rest of the apostles
(v. 31): The Lord
said, Simon, Simon, observe what I say; Satan hath desired
to have you, to have you all in his hands, that he may sift
you as wheat. Peter, who used to be the mouth of the
rest in speaking to Christ, is here made the ear of the
rest; and what is designed for warning to them all (all you
shall be offended, because of me) is directed to Peter, because
he was principally concerned, being in particular manner struck at
by the tempter: Satan has desired to have you. Probably
Satan had accused the disciples to God as mercenary in
following Christ, and aiming at nothing else therein but enriching
and advancing themselves in this world, as he accused Job. "No,"
saith God, "they are honest men, and men of integrity." "Give me
leave to try them," saith Satan, "and Peter particularly." He
desired to have them, that he might sift them, that he might
show them to be chaff, and not wheat. The troubles that were now
coming upon them were sifting, would try what there was in
them: but this was not all; Satan desired to sift them by his
temptations, and endeavoured by those troubles to draw them into
sin, to put them into a loss and hurry, as corn when it is sifted
to bring the chaff uppermost, or rather to shake out the wheat and
leave nothing but the chaff. Observe, Satan could not sift them
unless God gave him leave: He desired to have them, as he
begged of God a permission to try and tempt Job.
Exetesato—"He has challenged you, has
undertaken to prove you a company of hypocrites, and Peter
especially, the forwardest of you." Some suggest that Satan
demanded leave to sift them as their punishment for striving who
should be greatest, in which contest Peter perhaps was very warm:
"Leave them to me, to sift them for it."

2. The particular encouragement he gave to
Peter, in reference to this trial: "I have prayed for thee,
because, though he desires to have them all, he is permitted to
make his strongest onset upon thee only: thou wilt be most
violently assaulted, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not, that it may not totally and finally fail." Note, (1.)
If faith be kept up in an hour of temptation, though we may fall,
yet we shall not be utterly cast down. Faith will quench Satan's
fiery darts. (2.) Though there may be many failings in the faith of
true believers, yet there shall not be a total and final failure of
their faith. It is their seed, their root, remaining in them. (3.)
It is owing to the mediation and intercession of Jesus Christ that
the faith of his disciples, though sometimes sadly shaken, yet is
not sunk. If they were left to themselves, they would fail; but
they are kept by the power of God and the prayer of Christ.
The intercession of Christ is not only general, for all that
believe, but for particular believers (I have prayed for
thee), which is an encouragement for us to pray for
ourselves, and an engagement upon us to pray for others too.

3. The charge he gives to Peter to help
others as he should himself be helped of God: "When thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren; when thou art recovered by
the grace of God, and brought to repentance, do what thou canst to
recover others; when thou hast found they faith kept from failing,
labour to confirm the faith of others, and to establish them; when
thou hast found mercy with God thyself, encourage others to hope
that they also shall find mercy." Note, (1.) Those that have fallen
into sin must be converted from it; those that have turned
aside must return; those that have left their first love
must do their first works. (2.) Those that through grace are
converted from sin must do what they can to strengthen their
brethren that stand, and to prevent their falling; see
Ps. li. 11-13; 1 Tim. i.
13.

4. Peter's declared resolution to cleave to
Christ, whatever it cost him (v. 33): Lord, I am ready to go with
thee, both into prison and to death. This was a great word, and
yet I believe no more than he meant at this time, and thought he
should make good too. Judas never protested thus against
denying Christ, though often warned of it; for his heart was as
fully set in him to the evil as Peter's was against it. Note, All
the true disciples of Christ sincerely desire and design to
follow him, whithersoever he goes, and whithersoever he
leads them, though into a prison, though out of the world.

5. Christ's express prediction of his
denying him thrice (v.
34): "I tell thee, Peter (thou dost not know
thine own heart, but must be left to thyself a little, that thou
mayest know it, and mayest never trust to it again), the cock
shall not crow this day before thou even deny that thou knowest
me." Note, Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and
knows the evil that is in us, and will be done by us, which we
ourselves do not suspect. It is well for us that Christ knows where
we are weak better than we do, and therefore where to come in with
grace sufficient; that he knows how far a temptation will prevail,
and therefore when to say, Hitherto shall it come, and no
further.

IV. Concerning the condition of all the
disciples.

1. He appeals to them concerning what had
been, v. 35. He had
owned that they had been faithful servants to him, v. 28. Now he expects, at
parting, that they should acknowledge that he had been a kind and
careful Master to them ever since they left all to follow him:
When I sent you without purse, lacked you any thing? (1.) He
owns that he had sent them out in a very poor and bare condition,
barefoot, and with no money in their purses, because they were not
to go far, nor be out long; and he would thus teach them to depend
upon the providence of God, and, under that, upon the kindness of
their friends. If God thus send us out into the world, let us
remember that better than we have thus begun low. (2.) Yet ye will
have them own that, notwithstanding this, they had lacked
nothing; they then lived as plentifully and comfortably as
ever; and they readily acknowledged it: "Nothing, Lord; I
have all, and abound." Note, [1.] It is good for us often to review
the providences of God that have been concerning us all our days,
and to observe how we have got through the straits and difficulties
we have met with. [2.] Christ is a good Master, and his service a
good service; for though his servants may sometimes be brought low,
yet he will help them; and though he try them, yet will he
not leave them. Jehovah-jireh. [3.] We must reckon ourselves
well done by, and must not complain, but be thankful, if we have
had the necessary supports of life, though we have had neither
dainties nor superfluities, though we have lived from hand to
mouth, and lived upon the kindness of our friends. The disciples
lived upon contribution, and yet did not complain that their
maintenance was precarious, but owned, to their Master's honour,
that it was sufficient; they had wanted nothing.

2. He gives them notice of a very great
change of their circumstances now approaching. For, (1.) He that
was their Master was now entering upon his sufferings, which he had
often foretold (v.
37): "Now that which is written must be fulfilled in
me, and this among the rest, He was numbered among the
transgressors— he must suffer and die as a malefactor, and in
company with some of the vilest of malefactors. This is that which
is yet to be accomplished, after all the rest, and then
the things concerning me, the things written concerning me,
will have an end; then I shall say, It is finished." Note,
It may be the comfort of suffering Christians, as it was of a
suffering Christ, that their sufferings were foretold, and
determined in the counsels of heaven, and will shortly
determine in the joys of heaven. They were written
concerning them, and they will have an end, and will end
well, everlastingly well. (2.) They must therefore expect troubles,
and must not think now to have such an easy and comfortable life as
they had had; no, the scene will alter. They must now in some
degree suffer with their Master; and, when he is gone, they
must expect to suffer like him. The servant is not better
than his Lord. [1.] They must not now expect that their friends
would be so kind and generous to them as they had been; and
therefore, He that has a purse, let him take it, for he may
have occasion for it, and for all the good husbandry he can use.
[2.] They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce
upon them than they had been, and they would need magazines as well
as stores: He that has no sword wherewith to defend himself
against robbers and assassins (2 Cor.
xi. 26) will find a great want of it, and will be ready
to wish, some time or other, that he had sold his garment and
bought one. This is intended only to show that the times would be
very perilous, so that no man would think himself safe if he had
not a sword by his side. But the sword of the Spirit is the
sword which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves with.
Christ having suffered for us, we must arm ourselves
with the same mind (1 Peter iv.
1), arm ourselves with an expectation of trouble, that
it may not be a surprise to us, and with a holy resignation to the
will of God in it, that there may be no opposition in us to it: and
then we are better prepared than if we had sold a coat to buy a
sword. The disciples hereupon enquire what strength they had, and
find they had among them two swords (v. 38), of which one was Peter's. The
Galileans generally travelled with swords. Christ wore none
himself, but he was not against his disciples' wearing them. But he
intimates how little he would have them depend upon this when he
saith, It is enough, which some think is spoken ironically:
"Two swords among twelve men! you are bravely armed indeed when our
enemies are now coming out against us in great multitudes, and
every one with a sword!" Yet two swords are sufficient for those
who need none, having God himself to be the shield of their help
and the sword of their excellency, Deut. xxxiii. 29.

The Agony in the Garden.

39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to
the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter
not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about
a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless
not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an
angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being
in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when
he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found
them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep
ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

We have here the awful story of Christ's
agony in the garden, just before he was betrayed, which was
largely related by the other evangelists. In it Christ
accommodated himself to that part of his undertaking which
he was now entering upon—the making of his soul an offering for
sin. He afflicted his own soul with grief for the sin he was to
satisfy for, and an apprehension of the wrath of God to which man
had by sin made himself obnoxious, which he was pleased as a
sacrifice to admit the impressions of, the consuming of a sacrifice
with fire from heaven being the surest token of its acceptance. In
it Christ entered the lists with the powers of darkness, gave them
all the advantages they could desire, and yet conquered them.

I. What we have in this passage which we
had before is, 1. That when Christ went out, though it was in the
night, and a long walk, his disciples (eleven of them, for
Judas had given them the slip) followed him. Having
continued with him hitherto in his temptations, they would not
leave him now. 2. That he went to the place where he was
wont to be private, which intimates that Christ accustomed
himself to retirement, was often alone, to teach us to be so, for
freedom of converse with God and our own hearts. Though Christ had
no conveniency for retirement but a garden, yet he retired. This
should particularly be our practice after we have been at the
Lord's table; we have then work to do which requires us to be
private. 3. That he exhorted his disciples to pray that,
though the approaching trial could not be avoided, yet they might
not in it enter into temptation to sin; that, when they were
in the greatest fright and danger, yet they might not have any
inclination to desert Christ, nor take a step towards it: "Pray
that you may be kept from sin." 4. That he withdrew from
them, and prayed himself; they had their errands at the throne of
grace, and he had his, and therefore it was fit that they should
pray separately, as sometimes, when they had joint errands, they
prayed together. He withdrew about a stone's cast further
into the garden, which some reckon about fifty of sixty paces, and
there he kneeled down (so it is here) upon the bare ground;
but the other evangelists say that afterwards he fell on his
face, and there prayed that, if it were the will of God,
this cup of suffering, this bitter cup, might be removed from
him. This was the language of that innocent dread of suffering
which, being really and truly man, he could not but have in his
nature. 5. That he, knowing it to be his Father's will that he
should suffer and die, and that, as the matter was now settled, it
was necessary for our redemption and salvation, presently withdrew
that petition, did not insist upon it, but resigned himself to his
heavenly Father's will: "Nevertheless not my will be done,
not the will of my human nature, but the will of God as it is
written concerning me in the volume of the book, which I delight
to do, let that be done," Ps. xl.
7, 8. 6. That his disciples were asleep when he
was at prayer, and when they should have been themselves praying,
v. 45. When he
rose from prayer, he found them sleeping, unconcerned
in his sorrows; but see what a favourable construction is here put
upon it, which we had not in the other evangelists—they were
sleeping for sorrow. The great sorrow they were in upon the
mournful farewells their Master had been this evening giving them
had exhausted their spirits, and made them very dull and heavy,
which (it being now late) disposed them to sleep. This teaches us
to make the best of our brethren's infirmities, and, if there be
one cause better than another, charitably impute them to that. 7.
That when he awoke them, then he exhorted them to pray (v. 46): "Why sleep ye?
Why do you allow yourselves to sleep? Rise and pray. Shake
off your drowsiness, that you may be fit to pray, and
pray for grace, that you may be able to shake off
your drowsiness." This was like the ship-master's call to Jonah in
a storm (Jon. i. 6):
Arise, call upon thy God. When we find ourselves either by
our outward circumstances or our inward dispositions entering into
temptation, it concerns us to rise and pray, Lord, help me
in this time of need. But,

II. There are three things in this passage
which we had not in the other evangelists:—

1. That, when Christ was in his agony,
there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening
him, v. 43. (1.)
It was an instance of the deep humiliation of our Lord Jesus that
he needed the assistance of an angel, and would admit
it. The influence of the divine nature withdrew for the present,
and then, as to his human nature, he was for a little while
lower than the angels, and was capable of receiving help
from them. (2.) When he was not delivered from his sufferings, yet
he was strengthened and supported under them, and that was
equivalent. If God proportion the shoulders to the burden,
we shall have no reason to complain, whatever he is pleased to lay
upon us. David owns this a sufficient answer to his prayer,
in the day of trouble, that God strengthened him with strength
in his soul, and so does the son of David, Ps. cxxxviii. 3. (3.) The angels ministered
to the Lord Jesus in his sufferings. He could have had legions of
them to rescue him; nay, this one could have done it, could have
chased and conquered the whole band of men that came to take him;
but he made use of his ministration only to strengthen him;
and the very visit which this angel made him now in his grief, when
his enemies were awake and his friends asleep, was such a
seasonable token of the divine favour as would be a very great
strengthening to him. Yet this was not all: he probably said
something to him to strengthen him; put him in mind that his
sufferings were in order to his Father's glory, to his own glory,
and to the salvation of those that were given him, represented to
him the joy set before him, the seed he should see; with these and
the like suggestions he encouraged him to go on cheerfully; and
what is comforting is strengthening. Perhaps he did
something to strengthen him, wiped away his sweat and tears,
perhaps ministered some cordial to him, as after his temptation,
or, it may be, took him by the arm, and helped him off the ground,
or bore him up when he was ready to faint away; and in these
services of the angel the Holy Spirit was enischyon
auton—putting strength into him; for so the word
signifies. It pleased the Lord to bruise him indeed; yet
did he plead against him with his great power? No, but he
put strength in him (Job xxiii.
6), as he had promised, Ps. lxxxix. 21; Isa. xlix. 8; l.
7.

2. That, being in an agony, he prayed
more earnestly, v.
44. As his sorrow and trouble grew upon him, he grew
more importunate in prayer; not that there was before any coldness
or indifferency in his prayers, but there was now a greater
vehemency in them, which was expressed in his voice and gesture.
Note, Prayer, though never out of season, is in a special manner
seasonable when we are in an agony; and the stronger our agonies
are the more lively and frequent our prayers should be. Now it was
that Christ offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears, and was heard in that he feared (Heb. v. 7), and in his fear
wrestled, as Jacob with the angel.

3. That, in this agony, his sweat was as
it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Sweat
came in with sin, and was a branch of the curse, Gen. iii. 19. And therefore, when Christ was
made sin and a curse for us, he underwent a grievous sweat, that
in the sweat of his face we might eat bread, and that he
might sanctify and sweeten all our trials to us. There is some
dispute among the critics whether this sweat is only
compared to drops of blood, being much thicker
than drops of sweat commonly are, the pores of the body being more
than ordinarily opened, or whether real blood out of the
capillary veins mingled with it, so that it was in colour like
blood, and might truly be called a bloody sweat; the matter
is not great. Some reckon this one of the times when Christ shed
his blood for us, for without the shedding of blood there is no
remission. Every pore was as it were a bleeding wound, and his
blood stained all his raiment. This showed the travail of his
soul. He was now abroad in the open air, in a cool season, upon
the cold ground, far in the night, which, one would think, had been
enough to strike in a sweat; yet now he breaks out into a sweat,
which bespeaks the extremity of the agony he was in.

The Treachery of Judas.

47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude,
and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them,
and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said unto
him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 49
When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said
unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50 And one of
them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right
ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And
he touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto
the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders,
which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with
swords and staves? 53 When I was daily with you in the
temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your
hour, and the power of darkness.

Satan, finding himself baffled in his
attempts to terrify our Lord Jesus, and so to put him out of the
possession of his own soul, betakes himself (according to his usual
method) to force and arms, and brings a party into the field to
seize him, and Satan was in them. Here is,

I. The marking of him by Judas. Here a
numerous party appears, and Judas at the head of them, for he was
guide to them that took Jesus; they knew not where to
find him, but he brought them to the place: when they were
there, they knew not which was he, but Judas told them that
whomsoever he should kiss, that same was he; so he drew near to
him to kiss him, according to the wonted freedom and
familiarity to which our Lord Jesus admitted his disciples. Luke
takes notice of the question Christ asked him, which we have not in
the other evangelists: Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with
a kiss? What! Is this the signal? v. 48. Must the Son of man be
betrayed, as if any thing could be concealed from him, and a
plot carried on against him unknown to him? Must one of his own
disciples betray him, as if he had been a hard Master to them, or
deserved ill at their hands? Must he be betrayed with a kiss? Must
the badge of friendship be the instrument of treachery? Was ever a
love-token so desecrated and abused? Note, Nothing can be a greater
affront or grief to the Lord Jesus than to be betrayed, and
betrayed with a kiss, by those that profess relation to him and an
affection for him. Those do so who, under pretence of zeal for his
honour, persecute his servants, who, under the cloak of a seeming
affection for the honour of free grace, give a blow to the root of
holiness and strictness of conversation. Many instances there are
of Christ's being betrayed with a kiss, by those who, under the
form of godliness, fight against the power of it. It were well if
their own consciences would put this question to them, which Christ
here puts to Judas, Betrayest thou the Son of man with a
kiss? And will he not resent it? Will he not revenge it?

II. The effort which his disciples made for
his protection (v.
49): When they saw what would follow, that those
armed men were come to seize him, they said, "Lord, shall we
smite with the sword? Thou didst allow us to have two
swords, shall we now make use of them? Never was there more
occasion; and to what purpose should we have them if we do not use
them?" They asked the question as if they would not have drawn the
sword without commission from their Master, but they were in too
much haste and too much heat to stay for an answer.
But Peter, aiming at the head of one of the servants of the high
priest, missed his blow, and cut off his right ear. As
Christ, by throwing them to the ground that came to take him,
showed what he could have done, so Peter, by this exploit, showed
what he could have done too in so good a cause if he had had leave.
The other evangelists tell us what was the check Christ gave to
Peter for it. Luke here tells us, 1. How Christ excused the blow:
Suffer ye thus far, v.
51. Dr. Whitby thinks he said this to his enemies who
came to take him, to pacify them, that they might not be provoked
by it to fall upon the disciples, whom he had undertaken the
preservation of: "Pass by this injury and affront; it was
without warrant from me, and there shall not be another blow
struck." Though Christ had power to have struck them down, and
struck them dead, yet he speaks them fair, and, as it were,
begs their pardon for an assault made upon them by one of
his followers, to teach us to give good words even to our enemies.
2. How he cured the wound, which was more than amends sufficient
for the injury: He touched his ear, and healed him; fastened
his ear on again, that he might not so much as go away
stigmatized, though he well deserved it. Christ hereby gave
them a proof, (1.) Of his power. He that could heal could
destroy if he pleased, which should have obliged them in
interest to submit to him. Had they returned the blow upon Peter,
he would immediately have healed him; and what could not a small
regiment do that had such a surgeon to it, immediately to help the
sick and wounded? (2.) Of his mercy and goodness.
Christ here gave an illustrious example to his own rule of doing
good to them that hate us, as afterwards he did of praying
for them that despitefully use us. Those who render good for
evil do as Christ did. One would have thought that this generous
piece of kindness should have overcome them, that such coals,
heaped on their heads, should have melted them, that they
could not have bound him as a malefactor who had approved himself
such a benefactor; but their hearts were hardened.

III. Christ's expostulation with the
officers of the detachment that came to apprehend him, to show what
an absurd thing it was for them to make all this rout and noise,
v. 52, 53.
Matthew relates it as said to the multitude. Luke tells us
that it was said to the chief priests and captains of the
temple the latter commanded the several orders of the priests,
and therefore are here put between the chief priests and
the elders, so that they were all ecclesiastics, retainers
to the temple, who were employed in this odious piece of service;
and some of the first rank too disparaged themselves so far as to
be seen in it. Now see here,

1. How Christ reasons with them
concerning their proceedings. What occasion was there for them to
come out in the dead of the night, and with swords and
staves? (1.) They knew that he was one that would not
resist, nor raise the mob against them; he never had done
any thing like this. Why then are ye come out as against a
thief? (2.) They knew he was one that would not abscond,
for he was daily with them in the temple, in the midst of them, and
never sought to conceal himself, nor did they offer to lay hands on
him. Before his hour was come, it was folly for them to think to
take him; and when his hour was come it was folly for them to make
all this ado to take him.

2. How he reconciles himself to their
proceedings; and this we had not before: "But this is your hour,
and the power of darkness. How hard soever it may seem that I
should be thus exposed, I submit, for so it is determined. This is
the hour allowed you to have your will against me. There is
an hour appointed me to reckon for it. Now the power of
darkness, Satan, the ruler of the darkness of this
world, is permitted to do his worst, to bruise the heel of the
seed of the woman, and I resolve to acquiesce; let him do his
worst. The Lord shall laugh at him, for he sees that his
day, his hour, is coming." Ps. xxxvii. 13. Let this quiet us under the
prevalency of the church's enemies; let it quiet us in a dying
hour, that, (1.) It is but an hour that is permitted for the
triumph of our adversary, a short time, a limited time. (2.) It is
their hour, which is appointed them, and in which they are
permitted to try their strength, that omnipotence may be the more
glorified in their fall. (3.) It is the power of darkness
that rides master, and darkness must give way to light, and
the power of darkness be made to truckle to the prince of light.
Christ was willing to wait for his triumphs till his warfare was
accomplished, and we must be so too.

The Fall of Peter.

54 Then took they him, and led him, and
brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar
off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the
hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and
earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art
also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about
the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying,
Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a
Galilæan. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou
sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered
the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and
wept bitterly.

We have here the melancholy story of
Peter's denying his Master, at the time when he was arraigned
before the high priest, and those that were of the cabal,
that were ready to receive the prey, and to prepare the evidence
for his arraignment, as soon as it was day, before the
great sanhedrim, v.
66. But notice is not taken here, as was in the other
evangelists, of Christ's being now upon his examination before the
high priest, only of his being brought into the high priest's
house, v. 54.
But the manner of expression is observable. They took him, and
led him, and brought him, which methinks is like that
concerning Saul (1 Sam. xv.
12): He is gone about, and passed on, and gone
down; and intimates that, even when they had seized their prey,
they were in confusion, and, for fear of the people, or rather
struck with inward terror upon what they had seen and heard, they
took him the furthest way about, or, rather, knew not which way
they hurried him, such a hurry were they in in their own bosoms.
Now observe,

I. Peter's falling. 1. It began in
sneaking. He followed Christ when he was had away
prisoner; this was well, and showed a concern for his Master. But
he followed afar off, that he might be out of danger. He
thought to trim the matter, to follow Christ, and so to
satisfy his conscience, but to follow afar off, and so to
save his reputation, and sleep in a whole skin. 2. It proceeded in
keeping his distance still, and associating himself with the high
priest's servants, when he should have been at his master's elbow.
The servants kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and
sat down together, to talk over their night-expedition.
Probably Malchus was among them, and Peter sat down among
them, as if he had been one of them, at least would be thought
to be so. His fall itself was disclaiming all acquaintance with
Christ, and relation to him, disowning him because he was now in
distress and danger. He was charged by a sorry simple maid, that
belonged to the house, with being a retainer to this Jesus,
about whom there was now so much noise. She looked wistfully
upon him as he at by the fire, only because he was a
stranger, and one whom she had not seen before; and concluding that
at this time of night there were no neuters there, and knowing him
not to be any of the retinue of the high priest, she concludes him
to be one of the retinue of this Jesus, or perhaps she had been
some time or other looking about her in the temple, and had seen
Jesus there and Peter with him, officious about him, and remembered
him; and this man was with him, saith she. And Peter, as he
had not the courage to own the charge, so he had not the wit
and presence of mind to turn it off, as he might have done
many ways, and therefore flatly and plainly denies it: Woman, I
know him not. 4. His fall was repeated a second time (v. 58): After a little
while, before he had time to recollect himself, another saw
him, and said, "Even thou art one of them, as slyly as
thou sittest here among the high priest's servants." Not I,
saith Peter; Man, I am not. And a third time,
about the space of an hour after (for, saith the tempter,
"When he is down, down with him; let us follow the blow, till we
get him past recovery"), another confidently affirms,
strenuously asserts it, "Of a truth this fellow also was
with him, let him deny it if he can, for you may all perceive
he is a Galilean." But he that has once told a lie is
strongly tempted to persist in it; the beginning of that
sin is as the letting forth of water. Peter now not only
denies that he is a disciple of Christ, but that he knows any thing
of him (v. 60):
"Man, I know not what thou sayest; I never heard of this
Jesus."

II. Peter's getting up again. See
how happily he recovered himself, or, rather, the grace of God
recovered him. See how it was brought about:—

1. The cock crew just as he was the
third time denying that he knew Christ, and this startled him and
put him upon thinking. Note, Small accidents may involve great
consequences.

2. The Lord turned and looked upon
him. This circumstance we had not in the other evangelists, but
it is a very remarkable one. Christ is here called the Lord,
for there was much of divine knowledge, power, and grace, appearing
in this. Observe, Though Christ had now his back upon Peter, and
was upon his trial (when, one would think, he had something else to
mind), yet he knew all that Peter said. Note, Christ takes more
notice of what we say and do than we think he does. When Peter
disowned Christ, yet Christ did not disown him, though he might
justly have cast him off, and never looked upon him more, but have
denied him before his Father. It is well for us that Christ does
not deal with us as we deal with him. Christ looked upon
Peter, not doubting but that Peter would soon be aware of it;
for he knew that, though he had denied him with his lips, yet his
eye would still be towards him. Observe, Though Peter had now been
guilty of a very great offence, and which was very provoking, yet
Christ would not call to him, lest he should shame
him or expose him; he only gave him a look which none
but Peter would understand the meaning of, and it had a great deal
in it. (1.) It was a convincing look. Peter said that he did
not know Christ. Christ turned, and looked upon him,
as if he should say, "Dost thou not know me, Peter? Look me in the
face, and tell me so." (2.) It was a chiding look. We may
suppose that he looked upon him and frowned, or some way
signified his displeasure. Let us think with what an angry
countenance Christ justly looks upon us when we have sinned. (3.)
It was an expostulating upbraiding look: "What, Peter, art
thou he that disownest me now, when thou shouldest come and witness
for me? What thou a disciple? Thou that wast the most forward to
confess me to be the Son of God, and didst solemnly promise thou
wouldest never disown me?" (4.) It was a compassionate look;
he looked upon him with tenderness. "Poor Peter, how weak is thine
heart! How art thou fallen and undone if I do not help thee!" (5.)
It was a directing look. Christ guided him with his
eye, gave him a wink to go out from that sorry company, to
retire, and bethink himself a little, and then he would soon
see what he had to do. (6.) It was a significant look: it
signified the conveying of grace to Peter's heart, to enable him to
repent; the crowing of the cock would not have brought him to
repentance without this look, nor will the external means without
special efficacious grace. Power went along with this look, to
change the heart of Peter, and to bring him to himself, to his
right mind.

3. Peter remembered the words of the
Lord. Note, The grace of God works in and by the word
of God, brings that to mind, and sets that home upon the
conscience, and so gives the soul a happy turn. Tolle et
lege—Take it up, and read.

4. Then Peter went out, and wept
bitterly. One look from Christ melted him into tears of godly
sorrow for sin. The candle was newly put out, and then a little
thing lighted it again. Christ looked upon the chief priests, and
made no impression upon them as he did on Peter, who had the divine
seed remaining in him to work upon. It was not the look from
Christ, but the grace of God with it, that recovered Peter, and
brought him to-rights.

Christ Abused and Insulted.

63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and
smote him. 64 And when they had blindfolded him, they
struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it
that smote thee? 65 And many other things blasphemously
spake they against him. 66 And as soon as it was day, the
elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came
together, and led him into their council, saying, 67 Art
thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye
will not believe: 68 And if I also ask you, ye will
not answer me, nor let me go. 69 Hereafter shall the
Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70
Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto
them, Ye say that I am. 71 And they said, What need we any
further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

We are here told, as before in the other
gospels,

I. How our Lord Jesus was abused by
the servants of the high priest. The abjects, the rude and
barbarous servants, gathered themselves together against
him. They that held Jesus, that had him in custody till
the court sat, they mocked him, and smote him
(v. 63), they would
not allow him to repose himself one minute, though he had
had no sleep all night, nor to compose himself, though he
was hurried to his trial, and no time given him to prepare for it.
They made sport with him: this sorrowful night to him shall be a
merry night to them; and the blessed Jesus, like Samson, is made
the fool in the play. They hood-winked him, and then,
according to the common play that young people have among them,
they struck him on the face, and continued to do so till he
named the person that smote him (v. 64), intending hereby an affront to
his prophetical office, and that knowledge of secret things which
he was said to have. We are not told that he said any thing,
but bore every thing; hell was let loose, and he suffered it
to do its worst. A greater indignity could not be done to the
blessed Jesus, yet this was but one instance of many; for many
other things blasphemously spoke they against him, v. 65. They that condemned him
for a blasphemer were themselves the vilest blasphemers that ever
were.

II. How he was accused and condemned by the
great sanhedrim, consisting of the elders of the people, the
chief priests, and the scribes, who were all up betimes, and
got together as soon as it was day, about five of the clock
in the morning, to prosecute this matter. They were working this
evil upon their beds, and, as soon as ever the morning
was light, practised it, Mic.
ii. 1. They would not have been up so early for any good
work. It is but a short account that we have here of his trial in
the ecclesiastical court.

1. They ask him, Art thou the
Christ? He was generally believed by his followers to be the
Christ, but they could not prove it upon him that he had ever said
so totidem verbis—in so many words, and therefore urge him
to own it to them, v.
67. If they had asked him this question with a
willingness to admit that he was the Christ, and to receive him
accordingly if he could give sufficient proof of his being so, it
had been well, and might have been for ever well with
them; but they asked it with a resolution not to believe him,
but a design to ensnare him.

2. He justly complained of their unfair and
unjust usage of him, v. 67,
68. They all, as Jews, professed to expect the Messiah,
and to expect him at this time. No other appeared, or had
appeared, that pretended to be the Messiah. He had no competitor,
nor was he likely to have any. He had given amazing proofs of a
divine power going along with him, which made his claims very well
worthy of a free and impartial enquiry. It had been but just for
these leaders of the people to have taken him into their council,
and examined him there as a candidate for the messiahship,
not at the bar as a criminal. "But," saith he, (1.) "If I
tell you that I am the Christ, and give you ever such
convincing proofs of it, you are resolved that you will not
believe. Why should the cause be brought on before you who have
already prejudged it, and are resolved, right or wrong, to run it
down, and to condemn it?" (2.) "If I ask you what you have
to object against the proofs I produce, you will not answer
me." Here he refers to their silence when he put a question to
them, which would have led them to own his authority, ch. xx. 5-7. They were
neither fair judges, nor fair disputants; but, when they were
pinched with an argument, would rather be silent than own their
conviction: "You will neither answer me nor let me go; if I
be not the Christ, you ought to answer the arguments
with which I prove that I am; if I be, you ought to let me
go; but you will do neither."

3. He referred them to his second coming,
for the full proof of his being the Christ, to their confusion,
since they would not now admit the proof of it, to their conviction
(v. 69):
"Hereafter shall the Son of man sit, and be seen to sit,
on the right hand of the power of God, and then you will not
need to ask whether he be the Christ or no."

4. Hence they inferred that he set up
himself as the Son of God, and asked him whether he were so
or no (v.
70): Art thou then the Son of God? He called
himself the Son of man, referring to Daniel's vision of the
Son of man that came near before the Ancient of days,Dan. vii. 13, 14. But
they understood so much as to know that if he was that Son
of man, he was also the Son of God. And art thou so? By this
it appears to have been the faith of the Jewish church that the
Messiah should be both Son of man and Son of God.

5. He owns himself to be the Son of God:
Ye say that I am; that is, "I am, as ye say." Compare
Mark xiv. 62. Jesus
said, I am. This confirms Christ's testimony concerning
himself, that he was the Son of God, that he stood to it, when he
knew he should suffer for standing to it.

6. Upon this they ground his condemnation
(v. 71): What
need we any further witness? It was true, they needed not any
further witness to prove that he said he was the Son of God,
they had it from his own mouth; but did they not need proof
that he was not so, before they condemned him as a blasphemer for
saying that he was so? Had they no apprehension that it was
possible he might be so, and then what horrid guilt they should
bring upon themselves in putting him to death? No, they know
not, neither will they understand. They cannot think it
possible that he should be the Messiah, though ever so evidently
clothed with divine power and grace, if he appear not, as they
expect, in worldly pomp and grandeur. Their eyes being blinded with
the admiration of that, they rush on in this dangerous prosecution,
as the horse into the battle.